Greetings, friends. We come back to conclude from where we started last time. Who Touched Me was the title of the message. I quoted extensively a what Gretchen Malick said, about human touch, how important it is in life; and then reminded us of the song that Bill Gaiter wrote in 1963, the popular song: He touched me and made me whole.

And I also mentioned the fact that the touch of Jesus Christ meant different things to different people: a cleansing touch to the leper, an illuminating touch to the blind, a reassuring touch to the fearful, a liberating touch to the deaf and dumb, a healing touch to the sick in mind and body.

And then, of course, we went slightly into the title of the message, Who Touched Me with this observation, that in the scriptures it is not only the touch of Jesus Christ that produced a change and made a difference in the lives of people. People who touched Him received benefits in their lives.

Our text was from Luke 5:12-13; 8:40-48. The first one was about the leper that Jesus touched and healed. The second was about the woman who had hemorrhage for twelve years, and had spent everything she had, and was never made well. She touched Jesus. She made up her mind to touch the hem of His garment, and she was made whole.

I ‘m reminded of another song by Andrea Crouch that points to this fact, the fact that your touch can produce healing effects in your life and in your circumstance. Andrea Crouch says,

• I tried all that I could,
  seemed like nothing did me any good.
  Then I heard Jesus, He was passing by,
  and I decided to give Him a try

Oh it is Jesus,
Oh it is Jesus,
it's Jesus in my soul;
for I have touched the hem of His garment,
and His blood has made me whole.

We are familiar with that song.

Jesus asked the multitude that followed Him, “Who Touched Me?” Luke 8:45. This question seemed ridiculous to His disciples, because they said to Him, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who Touched Me’”. In my paraphrase they were saying, “Nearly everybody is touching You. What kind of question is this, Master?” Don’t forget that Jesus never spoke an idle word. He knew why He asked the question. In verse 46 of Luke chapter 8 Jesus says why He asked Who Touched Me.

Luke 8:46

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

Nearly everybody was touching Jesus, but there was one touch, out of the many, that was different. It was a desperate touch. It was a deliberate touch. It was a dependent touch. It was a touch that drew from Jesus power. The woman was saying as it were ‘Jesus, I am desperate, Jesus I have decided to touch You deliberately, not casually like everyone else is touching You. Jesus, I am depending on You to see me through’.

But what informed this woman’s touch? Why did she come to that conclusion that her touch would make a difference?

Mark 5:25-28

²⁵ Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

What did the woman hear about Jesus? For she heard about Jesus. Remember, faith comes by hearing.

Mark 6:56

⁵⁶ Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Do you see the key? The bible says that the woman came, made up her mind to touch Jesus deliberately. And it was a desperate touch; and it was a dependent touch…dependent in the sense that it was a touch of faith. And how did that come about? She heard about Jesus. Let me say it again: the scripture says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by a word of Christ, in the original. So she heard. But the context of what she heard is important. And that is what we found in Mark 6:56: Wherever He [Jesus] entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well. That is what the woman heard. She heard that some people who were sick, who were desperate, touched the hem of the garment of this Man, Jesus. And as many as touched Him were made well.

And with that information, with that word, with that message, she said, if He did it for them or if the touch did it for them, then since God is no respecter of persons, my touch will do it for me too: if only I will come close enough. Because as a woman who had this flow of blood, this hemorrhage, she was unclean and could not come near any other human being or else she would defile such ones. So it was quite a challenge to her to approach Jesus. But she made up her mind, I’m going to take that chance. I’m going to bravely go…if only I can touch the hem of His garment.

Isn’t it possible, friend, that Jesus is expecting those of us who are asking Him to touch us to touch Him instead? A number of us go from place to place looking for one minister or the other, one servant of God or the other to touch them. And sometimes the people they go to may not even be servants of God but native doctors now transformed into ministers of the Gospel. And that is not strange, for even the angels of Satan disguise themselves as angels of light. Let us be very careful. You know, but the point I am trying to make is going from place to place looking for somebody to touch you may not be the answer. Jesus asked the question, who touched Me? You may be the who, this touch Jesus is waiting for. This touch that produces a change is not a casual touch. It is not a careless touch. It is not a curious touch. It is a touch of faith. Jesus did not say to the woman, daughter your touch has made you well: A thousand times no. Jesus said to her, daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. It was a touch of faith. It was the faith that the woman had in Jesus that healed her. That faith that if he could come close enough and touch even the hem of the garment of Jesus that she will be well. That was what healed her. It is a touch of faith that Jesus is sensitive to. Faith that comes from hearing, faith that come from the Lord Himself.

Why not ask Him for an impartation of this faith so you can touch Him with a touch that produces effect, so you can touch Him and it will produce cleansing, so you can touch Him and you will have illumination, so you can touch Him and you will have reassurance, so you can touch him and you will have deliverance and healing. We look for people to deliver us; but the matter is simple: the touch of faith. Where you are now, friend, touch Jesus by faith, and you will receive the effect that you desire. Jesus will grant you salvation, Jesus will grant you deliverance, Jesus will grant you healing even in your circumstance, if only you will come by faith.

PRAYER:

Father, I pray for these friends of mine and ask that You will impart your faith to their hearts now to receive that which they desire and need in their lives, that You may grant them salvation, healing and deliverance, in Jesus Name. Amen!